Nancy Hamant: Minutes of CORE meeting 5/18/06

MINUTES OF CORE MEETING-THURSDAY, MAY 18, 2006

Dave Parshall chaired the CORE meeting for Mary Ellen Angeletti Who is ill due to disc deterioration in her neck. Minutes are in bold following each Agenda item. Respectfully submitted by Nancy Hamant

A. Tom Curtis introduces Ohio State Auditor Betty Montgomery - 11:45 - 12:15

Tom Curtis announced that Betty Montgomery was unable to Attend the CORE meeting due to illness and hospitalization. Tom stated that Ms. Montgomery's staff indicated that she Would be will to reschedule.

B. CORE Financial Fund - Dave Parshall

Dave Parshall stated that campaign costs were very cost effective and that all printing and mailing costs submitted to Date have been paid. Donations to CORE have slowed. It is suggested that contributions be requested again at Local meetings to replenish the CORE fund in preparation For future STRS Board member campaigns and to fund any Future CORE activities.

C. CORE Website Update - Dave Parshall

Dave Parshall stated that the Website would be updated by Removing the 2006 campaign information and by adding A proactive statement (approved by CORE) regarding support Action for the proposed STRS Health Care initiative (5% increase In Employee and Employer contributions over 5 years).

D. A discussion of the fact that no one speaks for CORE or represents CORE. There are no leaders per se. Nancy Hamant's reading for CORE three years ago, "THERE ARE NO LEADERS IN CORE."

Clearly CORE members have stated that no one person, no "chair", no "elected officer" can do all of the work. Most people speak as an individual. CORE general membership approves annual goals which determine annual action. It is still important to work as a Team, striving to achieve annual goals and also to monitor STRS to ensure safety of STRS Pension and Health Care and to alert CORE members when action is needed.

Dave Parshall will draft a statement for the Website and submit to CORE Advisors for approval for adding to the website.

E. Motion - Personal references ban

Discussion indicated that most people speak as individuals. Professionalism should be the guide. However, it is important to continue to monitor STRS as a Watchdog.

F. Status of the STRS HC Legislation - Damon's report to the ORSC

It was noted in Damon's report to the ORSC, there was some resistance to increasing Employer contributions to STRS. Recommendation is to talk to your own local legislators citing the need and importance of such an increase to both retirees and actives (who will be future retirees). The next few months, as legislators are in their home district areas, are perfect times to encourage their support for the proposed legislation.

H. June 5th Retreat-Tom Curtis reports details

CORE Retreat will be held at Jan Hansen's house at 9:30 am until done. Tom will send out specifics and directions to Jan's house. Please bring Your lunch. There are still a few openings-contact Tom.

I.Old Business

None discussed

J. New Business

Way to even out STRS Board compensation/support. Provide possible CORE Recognition, plaque, desk weight for service. Much discussion ensued, with Ann Hanning (ORTA) responding to CORE questions-that there is STRS money available to reimburse STRS staff, STRS Board members, and the Executive Director for travel expenses to attend local meetings. Discussion also indicated that paying for "food" providing "gifts", etc. would be under much scrutiny since SB 133 and most would probably not be acceptable.

G. STRS Election for 2007 - Planning - We did not have time last month to discuss Kathie Bracy's suggestions for future STRS Board election Campaign

See Kathie's ideas below. Kathie presented the key ones. Most CORE members indicated that CORE is most effective In email campaigning and is certainly able to get information On the internet faster than organized groups. So the Recommendation is to develop a statewide network of receptive Folks to whom to send CORE emails. It is most important to Have at least one email contact in each county-with the Possibility of building to one contact in each school district In the future.

Ideas for future STRS Board Election Campaigns

1. Include website(s) on campaign literature (candidate flyers) to help "spread the word" to those who may not be "in the know".

2. Enlist help of superintendents. They can:

~ Inform the schools we will be distributing literature

~ Enlist the support of principals

~ Have principals inform faculty reps we will be there and that we have the right to be there & distribute literature

~ Provide basic information on schools:

+ Location, driving directions (CPS has a booklet with this info.)

+ Approximate number of certificated personnel in each building.

+ Best way to get literature to specialists (music, art, PE., psychologists, supervisors, etc.) without duplicating efforts in multiple buildings

~ Assist us in getting one permanent teacher liaison (volunteer or appointed) in each building who is NOT OEA rep

~ Statewide, assist with contacts where we need them

3. Arm us with an official statement of our legal rights to enter a public building and disseminate literature to present if/when necessary. We should have the same access as OEA. We should NOT be treated as outsiders.

4. Establish with other endorsing groups spending caps for campaigning (in our dreams!!)

5. If promoting two candidates, print flyers back-to-back, in black and white, unless cheaper to do otherwise.

6. Get help from Gene Harris, Supt. of Cols. Schools, and Susan Zelman, State Dept. of Educ.

7. Get ORTA's authorization to distribute literature at RTA meetings. We should NOT be getting hassles from RTA officers or ORTA people or anyone else. We should also be given an opportunity, whenever needed, to speak for 3 minutes on STRS topics pertaining to all.

Distributing literature to schools: Since CORE does not have huge numbers in force, it is NOT feasible to limit our efforts to certain times of the day and certain parts of the building in order to have direct access to teachers, such as faculty lounge and parking lot during non-teaching hours. This is inefficient use of our time, as we have wasted time in between, plus it takes extra time to ask each individual if they're certificated personnel (as opposed to aides, other staff people). If done in a parking lot, ten people can walk past you while you're dealing with one, who may or may not be certificated. Buildings have many doors: can't always catch people.

[Note from Kathie: These are just ideas that came to me during the time I was distributing flyers to Columbus schools. They wouldn't necessarily apply to other situations, and many things have changed since the election.]

The next CORE meeting will be on Thursday, June 15th at 11:45 in the cafeteria room behind the Sublett Rm.